Rhema Words: Ezer Kenegdo

Monday, August 15, 2011 Posted by Debbie Legg

Pin It

I first heard the term Ezer Kenegdo through the book Captivating by John and Staci Eldredge.  

When God created Eve, He called her Ezer Kenegdo.  This phrase is horrendously difficult to translate.  Helper?  Companion? Just about the worst one I’ve heard is “helpmeet.”  Seriously.  Raise your hand if you wanted to grow up to be a helpmeet.  [cue chirping crickets]

The word ezer is used only twenty other places in the entire Old Testament.  And in every other instance the person being described is God himself, when you need him to come through for you *desperately*. (Deut 33:26, 29; Ps 121:1-2; Ps 33:20; Ps 115:9-11) 

“Most of the contexts are life and death by the way, and God is your only hope.  Your ezer.  If he is not there beside you…you are dead. A better translation therefore for ezer would be “lifesaver”. Kenegdo means alongside, or opposite to, a counterpart.”  (Captivating, 31-32)

That's a far cry from "helpmeet," don't you think?  Here they go into a little more detail: "Redeemed women of God have tender, merciful hearts, backbones of steel, and hands that have been trained for battle. There is something incredibly fierce in the heart of a woman that is to be contended with, not dismissed, not disdained, but recognized, honored, welcomed and trained." (Ibid.)

Now THAT sounds more like it!  Gals, deep down, don’t you long to be that heroine, as strong as she is beautiful, coming through for those she loves, literally saving their lives?  Guys, isn’t that who you want alongside you in life?   

So, now I have to ask…does that describe you?   In all honesty, most days I don’t feel like it describes me.  There’s something very un-lifesaver-ish about laundry.  And cooking.   And wiping (counters and noses).

But a woman is ezer kenegdo when she needs to be.  She can appear in the blink of an eye, at the pained cry of a child, at the weary sigh of a loved one.   It’s how every woman was designed, how she was created.  Fierce.  Life-giving.  Life-saving.  Alongside.

EVERY woman. 

debbieDebbie Legg is your server this week! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.